1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data storage systems and methods, and, more particularly, to a method for allowing client computers in a distributed object-based data storage system to interpret higher revision data structures.
2. Description of Related Art
In a distributed data storage system, servers and client computers may interact with each other and with data storage disks or other system agents in a pre-defined manner. For example, client computers may read from or write into the storage disks various types of data including, for example, normal application-specific data or redundant information being stored for fault tolerance. Generally speaking, the client computers execute various application and operating software resident thereon to accomplish the desired data processing tasks. The software resident in a client computer's memory may have been designed at a particular time in the past. Therefore, as more advanced or newer versions of the client and server software become available, there appears a point in time when a client computer running an older software revision may not be able to interpret a particular data organization that was shipped (e.g., as part of a newer server software configuration) after that client's software was installed. Thus, it is desirable to devise a mechanism that allows an old client (i.e., a client running an older version of software) to access data and information stored in a newer format in the storage system. Such a mechanism allows an older client to effectively operate in a newer server or system environment, thereby reducing the need to spend time, money, and effort to replace or upgrade older client machines every time a new or upgraded server or storage configuration is installed as part of the data storage network in an organization.